Mark Isherwood AM

Member for North Wales

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ISHERWOOD: AM VISITS CHIRK’S KRONOSPAN AND supportS calls to Make Wood Work

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 12:21

NORTH Wales Assembly Members Mark Isherwood and Brynle Williams visited Chirk manufacturer Kronospan on Tuesday following the recent publication of the National Assembly for Wales Sustainability Scrutiny Committee’s report on the Supply and Demand for Wood.

Welsh Conservatives Mr Isherwood and Mr Williams both share concerns about the impact of current policy on existing green industries such as the wood panel industry. Manufacturing any product made from wood is under increasing threat from the series of large biomass-fired power stations that are being built in Britain.

The power generating companies are given government subsidies to burn the same wood that is used in manufacturing.This is resulting in a shortage of timber in the UK and distortion of the wood market.Wood that has been used for making furniture, wood panels or used in the paper industry is now being sent to feed the new biomass-fired plants.The Sustainability Committee’s report urged the Welsh Assembly Government to do all it can to increase the supply of wood in Wales. The Sustainability Committee’s report recommended “that the Welsh Government use the newly appointed powers…to introduce restrictions on sending wood to landfill”. Mr Williams stressed the need for the Welsh Government to stop millions of tonnes of usable wood going to landfill. He said: “We now have the power to stop people just dumping wood, so it’s time we use it. This precious resource should not be left rotting in the ground”. The UK Government has final say in plants over 50MW but the Assembly Government is responsible for all biomass power plants under that threshold. Commenting, Mr Isherwood said: “We can lead the world by setting sensible standards for biomass power plants. The Welsh Government could do this by stipulating that all those biomass power plants which require its consent must be compliant with the Waste Incineration Directive. Minimum efficiency standards should also be stipulated so we see the creation of sustainable combined heat and power plants for local communities across Wales”.Gavin Adkins, who is a director of the Wood Panel Industries Federation and is also Kronospan’s Director of Sawmilling, added: “Unlike other renewable forms of energy, woody biomass is a limited resource. At present we use it in a carbon-friendly way. We already Make Wood Work and we want to continue doing so. However, unless we take action to make the best use of this limited resource, jobs in the wood processing sector will be threatened and our environment damaged as large-scale biomass power plants consume the UK’s supply of timber.”ENDSNorth Wales AM Mark Isherwood, Shadow Minister for Social Justice and Housing